Hasta La Gadget!

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that AI-generated emojis may be one of the new features Apple shows off at WWDC next month. If the current emoji library weren’t overwhelming enough (let alone my increasingly growing sticker collection both on Messages and WhatsApp), Gurman writes that the company “is developing software that can create custom emojis on the fly, based on what users are texting.” Niche food emojis? Yes, please. :tunamayosandwich:

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

ICQ is shutting down on June 26

Doctor Who: 73 Yards review

The best Memorial Day sale tech deals we could find

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Kobo Clara Colour ereader review

Color pages steal the show.

Engadget

The Clara Colour is a $150 ereader that taps into Kobo’s own book library (and local libraries), but augments the experience with color book covers. Yes, Kobo beat Kindle to the punch in getting a color ereader out the door. While Amazon is busy experimenting with everything else, ereader-wise, it’s safe to assume that a color Kindle will land at some point. For now, though, Kobo’s Clara Colour is the consumer-friendly color ereader to beat.

Of course, I love that Kobo spelled color with a ‘u’, but I’m not sure I can explain why.

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Somehow, Resident Evil 6 sold over a million copies on Switch

A true horror mystery.

Resident Evil 6 has sold surprisingly well on the Nintendo Switch since it was ported to the console in 2019, despite it being almost universally panned by fans. The game was just added to Capcom’s Platinum Titles list, meaning it’s crossed the threshold of one million units sold. Don’t do it to yourself, please. May I suggest the remade RE2 (or 3), or one of the myriad Resident Evil 4 remakes. Or if you feel like having a heart attack, any of the Resident Evil games made for VR.

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Someone made a Flappy Bird tribute for the Playdate

Crank to flap.

Playdate

A Flappy Bird tribute for the Playdate is now available to play, if you’re up for sideloading something onto your cute little crank console. Surprise: using the crank to control the bird makes it even harder.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-ai-generated-emoji-could-soon-come-to-the-iphone-111526029.html?src=rss

If you’ve been craving some help with cleaning, this Memorial Day Roomba sale may be up your alley. Wellbots has the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+, Engadget’s favorite vacuum-mop combo, for $425 off. The machine not only cleans floors and carpets; its redesigned dock can automatically empty debris and refill it with mopping liquid. Use the exclusive code ENG425 to get iRobot’s top-of-the-line combo cleaner for $974.

Although that’s still a hefty price for a cleaning robot, you’re getting a premium product in return. The Roomba Combo J9+ has an upgraded motor and a four-stage cleaning system that takes multiple passes across your floors and carpets. This latest model, which arrived only last fall, has dual rubber brushes for optimal suction and pressurized scrubbing.

The robot has an updated Clean Base that automatically refills its water tank while looking more like a nice home appliance than a gadget’s charging dock. It automates as much of the setup process as possible, leaving you only to attach its mop pad and add water and cleaning solution. As for upkeep, you merely swap out its mop pads when needed and clean the Roomba’s bristles and bin.

Wellbots also offers the standard Roomba J9+ — the mop-less variant — for $325 off with the code ENG325. This model has all the vacuuming features from the more expensive Combo version. That includes stronger suction, multi-surface rubber brushes and a three-stage cleaning system. Usually $899, the coupon brings its price down to $574.

If you’re looking for a vacuum-mop combination robot for cheaper, the previous-generation Roomba Combo J7+ is $225 off with the code ENG225 (usually $999). This model skips out on some of the high-end features in the J9+ but still offers obstacle avoidance and a four-stage cleaning system. It can return to its base when it’s full and empty itself for up to 60 days before you have to empty its bin.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roomba-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-425-off-for-memorial-day-130015162.html?src=rss

ICQ, which used to be a very popular messaging app for a short period in the 90s and the early aughts, only has a month left before it joins the other apps and software of old in the great big farm in the sky. It will stop working on June 26, according to it website, which also encourages users to move to VK Messenger for casual chats and to VK WorkSpace for professional conversations. ICQ came into the picture at a time when most people were using IRC to chat. IRC, however, was mostly meant for group conversations — ICQ made it easy to communicate one-on-one. 

Users who signed up for an account got assigned a number that grew longer as time went on, because it was issued sequentially. The shortest numbers had five digits, which means users who got them were there at the very beginning. ICQ peaked in the early 2000s when it reached 100 million registered accounts. And while it didn’t take a long time for AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger to eclipse its popularity, ICQ’s iconic “uh-oh!” notification sound remains memorable for a lot of internet users during that era. 

ICQ, derived from the phrase “I seek you,” was developed by Israeli company Mirabilis. It was then purchased by AOL and then by the Russian company Mail.Ru Group that’s now known as VK, which has its own social networking and messaging services.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uh-oh-icq-is-shutting-down-on-june-26-153048381.html?src=rss

Resident Evil 6 has sold surprisingly well on the Nintendo Switch since it was ported to the console in 2019, despite it being almost universally panned by fans of the series. As spotted by Nintendo Life, RE6 just got added to Capcom’s Platinum Titles list, meaning it’s crossed the threshold of one million units sold. It sits at number 117 on the list, with a million downloads for the Switch (but not any other platforms).

RE6 stands out as a convoluted action game next to the titles that came before it, marking a dramatic shift away from survival horror. It has a lot going on, but not so much of the things people actually love about Resident Evil games. It’s gained some defenders over the years, though, I’ll give it that. Capcom brought Resident Evil 6 to the Switch in October 2019 and bundled it with RE4 and RE5 in the Resident Evil Triple Pack that was released around the same time, which surely helped its sales. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/over-a-million-switch-owners-have-bought-the-worst-mainline-resident-evil-game-ever-170834260.html?src=rss

Resident Evil 6 has sold surprisingly well on the Nintendo Switch since it was ported to the console in 2019, despite it being almost universally panned by fans of the series. As spotted by Nintendo Life, RE6 just got added to Capcom’s Platinum Titles list, meaning it’s crossed the threshold of one million units sold. It sits at number 117 on the list, with a million downloads for the Switch (but not any other platforms).

RE6 stands out as a convoluted action game next to the titles that came before it, marking a dramatic shift away from survival horror. It has a lot going on, but not so much of the things people actually love about Resident Evil games. It’s gained some defenders over the years, though, I’ll give it that. Capcom brought Resident Evil 6 to the Switch in October 2019 and bundled it with RE4 and RE5 in the Resident Evil Triple Pack that was released around the same time, which surely helped its sales. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/over-a-million-switch-owners-have-bought-the-worst-mainline-resident-evil-game-ever-170834260.html?src=rss